Feral Nightmare
by Falloutthoughts
Summary: Angst and comfort one-shot of (none gendered) Sole Survivor believing Hancock (romanced) has turned feral.
A weight filled their gut like icy steel and their hand lifted shaking so violently that their usually steady aim was now doubtful at best and a nasty, unearthly crack of thunder sounded overhead. Swallowing hard Sole lifted the other hand in a vain attempt to steady themselves. They didn't want him to feel pain for long. They would make it quick – for him..

He'd seemed a little off that morning, a little… 'foggy' in his thoughts and focus but both he and Sole had put it down to the lingering effects of alcohol and chems. As the day progressed however he didn't get any better. He became.. more irritable. More snappy and aggressive. Sole had tried to speak with him about it but he'd brushed them off and had shoved past them violently and headed outside. Sole knew they should have known something was seriously wrong at that point, part of them did. They just never could have prepared themselves for what was to come. It was late. Very late. It wasn't uncommon for the two of them to roll into bed in the early hours of the morning but to not have heard a word from him since he left that afternoon.. It troubled Sole greatly but now, now they really wished they never heard anything at all..

'Well look at you, I must still be dreamin'.' Those where the words given to them in greeting that morning. His ever gravelly voice huskier still from lack of use through the night. That voice of his never failed to send a tremor down their spine but instead of joy and love now that voice only invoked agony and fear. They weren't even aware that their beloved could make sounds as inhuman as the animalistic snarls and screeches directed at them now. Sole looked to the ghoul's eyes. They were so beautiful.. A glittering obsidian that always held so much life and spirit but now.. now they were so.. so ugly, ruthless. … Hungry.

"We can't hold him much longer!" one of the guards called to them and Sole was vaguely aware of the desperate plea entering their ears. They must have acknowledged it on some level through their dazed stupor as they looked to the ghoul's hands. Those hands… they had caressed them so tenderly that very morning.. Those fingers had traced their skin and tilted their head ever so gently to claim and gift their morning kiss. Sole was startled by their own sudden sob, the first few tears breaking free through the fracturing pieces of their heart. Now those hands where vicious, gnarled claws struggling to escape their binds and tear into flesh. That mouth, those lips.. that tasted so pleasant upon Sole's own drew back to reveal bloodied teeth that bit at the air between him and the people holding him. "SOLE!" Another desperate yell as the crazed ghoul's unrestrained strength and thrashing became harder to control and they readied their weapon. He wouldn't have wanted this. Wouldn't have wanted to have spent his days as a feral, hurting the citizens he had worked so hard for. Hurting Goodneighbor. They just.. just needed to focus. Needed to aim.. aim between those once beautiful eyes.. at that face that, would always, _**always**_ , have been handsome to them.. They just needed to swallow the hard, painful lump in their throat, needed to clear the tears blinding their eyes and steady their hands. They needed to make it quick, make it painless – for them both.

The ghoul screeched and pulled its whole weight to one side and then the next finally pulling one of the exhausted guards off balance. The guards called out, moving to collect their own weapons with haste and everything seemed to happen in slow motion for Sole as the ghoul, eyes still locked on theirs charged at them. He was on them before they could break themselves from the numbness that had taken their own mind and they never were certain if the gunshot was from their own weapon or one of the onlookers. Blackness was all they knew for the briefest of seconds yet longest of eternities and they could hear their name being called out with worry and urgency. Their eyes shot open feeling the firm grip upon their arms, as they lead flat on their back, their pupils at pin points seeing nothing but glaring white before the ghoul's face came into view. They felt their lungs burst for air, their face and neck damp from the streaming tears and the cold sweat that had taken them. They cried out in terror, though they weren't sure if the sound was silent or not and they fought against the hold in a desperate panic. Feeling the grip loosen they backed up, pushing away with their legs and scrambling backwards until their back hit something – the headboard? Confusion and fear held such a firm grasp on them that sensible reasoning was beyond them, common sense all but abandoning them. But there where no more shouts, no more gunfire, no more horrible snarls or howls from the feral that had attacked them. Swallowing for air, their chest heaving rapidly their eyes darted quickly about their surroundings. Their bedroom? But.. They where outside.. It was storming.. One of those horrible, horrible radiation stor- Another crack of thunder that sounded like the sky was being ripped open and they winced, their stomach clenched so tightly that they thought they might vomit. They felt dizzy and faint all of a sudden, their blood cold and their breathing erratic.

"Shhh.. It's ok sunshine… It's only me.. You're safe."

That voice.. Sole turned their eyes to the ghoul, his face a picture of concern; his dark eyes regarding them intensely and his mouth forming an unhappy line. He had let them go the moment they had fought to be free, fearful that holding them down would only have caused them to panic further but his hands still held out for them. Those tender, gentle hands, awaited them and it took Sole no prompting to crawl forward and fall into those arms. A sob escaped them as they did so, they felt so limp, their muscles weak from exertion. "John.." they breathed, their voice broken and hoarse even to their own ears. "Oh God John.. I'm Sor-.. Oh God I'm so sorry.." They held onto him tightly, though he might disappear if they did not and apologising repeatedly. They felt his hands stroke their back and through their hair and he whispered to them in the darkness, uttering words of comfort and promising that everything was going to be alright, that it was just a bad dream.

It took a long, long time for them to settle. The storm didn't help and even past the point that they consciously understood that it was all just a nightmare the emotions and physical drain from the experience was still very real. Hancock was eventually able to draw them back down to lay beneath the sheets to fend off the chill that had taken them and he held them closely to himself, their head resting upon his bare chest and the sound of his heart beating steadily beneath their ear in the hope it might sooth them. By the time Sole had cried out all that they could and the whirl of emotions had taxed them for all their strength they had nothing but cold numbness and exhaustion for company. They were grateful for their lover's embrace and their fingers traced idly on his chest. "I thought I had lost you…" they admitted to him, their voice still weak.

Fingers brushed against their cheek, cleaning away the tear stains. If he understood what Sole had meant by the term 'lost you' then he didn't say anything about it. "Try to get some sleep love," he urged them with all the tenderness of his heart. "I promise I'll still be here in the mornin'.."

Sole swallowed and nodded. Sleep did not come easily to them again but when it did they couldn't remember dropping off. Their beloved kept his promise, not leaving their bed until Sole had awakened.


End file.
